Happy Thanksgiving, friends!! It seems like it was just last year and I was sharing my plans for the long holiday weekend with you! Where, oh where, have those 365 days gone?

What are you doing today? Maybe hitting up some good Black Friday sales? We’re sticking close to home, and honestly, I couldn’t be happier about that! I’m not sure if it’s the cold winter, but I’ve just been feeling the need to hibernate indoors lately. Plus, of course Ms. Bear will be making us her famous Thanksgiving feast, complete with pumpkin pie. We’ll also be playing Yahtzee, which I plan on winning — but don’t tell her that! Anyway, I just really want to spend some quality time with my mom and Janelle. I’m so grateful for them each and every day, and with everything that’s happened over the last year, my family means everything to me!

On a serious note, though, I’ve always thought of Thanksgiving week as the official start of the holiday season. From now until New Year’s Day, an emphasis on family and cheer will be everywhere. But it’s also important to remember that the holidays are hard for many people. Loss is especially poignant this time of year, and sometimes, grief shows up instead of cheer. As you celebrate, keep those people in your heart. The people who don’t have family to go home to. The people who are struggling. The people who are hurting. The people who are grieving.

I’ll be taking the rest of the week off, so I’ll see you all back here on Monday, November 26th for more fun and merriment — think the Holiday Gift Guide 2018 the first week of December as well as a few of my recently published pieces!

In the meantime, be sure to follow me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram! You know I’ll be chronicling my long-weekend adventures!! See you there, friends! xoxo

Pop quiz (no pun intended): Say it’s a hot and humid summer afternoon and you desperately need to quench your thirst. You reach for an ice-cold can. What do you call that fizzy, bubbly goodness?? Soda or pop?? I only ask because these vintage soda pop tees are making my mouth water just looking at them…

I mean, we’ve already established just how much I adore all things soda pop! Case in point: When I was a teenager, we visited the World of Coca-Cola in Atlanta and, to this day, I dream of going back and immersing myself in the ultimate soda pop experience! Seriously, if you’ve never been there, I highly recommend it — and, no, this is NOT sponsored!

Anyway, I thought it only appropriate to celebrate my love of soda pop with some fashionable attire; I’ve even hinted that some soda pop tees would make a very suitable birthday present for me (*wink, wink…my birthday is less than two weeks away!), but my mom and sister didn’t seem enthused by my brilliant idea. But maybe they’ll see this post? Here are some of my favorite vintage soda pop tees picks, like this funny “It’s Called Pop, Not Soda” shirt, $25…

Last week, I experienced a freelance writing first: One of my editors at CNN Opinion emailed me to see if I’d be interested in writing about Starbucks’ straw ban. Yes! THIS is why I’ve worked so hard to cultivate my beats as a writer! So honored to advocate for the disability community again!!

My plastic straws op-ed was published last Thursday!!! This marks my 10th one with CNN. Some of the negative responses and ableist comments I’ve received just proved how important this conversation is! It’s disappointing that, again, the disability community was left out of a conversation/decision that directly affects us. As I said in my essay, it’s just another example of our autonomy being taken away.

Here’s an excerpt of the piece, in which I emphasize the fact that even straw replacement options pose problems for some people with disabilities…

These types of unilateral decisions simply don’t take into account the needs of those who will be most impacted. Sure, not everyone will need plastic straws, but people with disabilities should be given the option to use them if they need to.

In an email response, Starbucks told me, “We will work with the disability community to ensure we continue to meet their needs going forward.”

And while that’s at least an acknowledgment of the issue, it doesn’t immediately address the difficulty that disabled people have grasping or holding a cup, or even drinking directly from a cup. Take me, for example. My hands are deformed as a result of my disability, and this makes it hard for me to pick up some cups. My neck is also fully fused, which makes using straws ideal, because I can’t bend my neck back to sip from a lid.

You can read the full piece here and I’d love to hear your thoughts. Feel free to email me anytime at mellow1422@aol.com and let’s chat! And of course, feel free to share my essay on Facebook, Twitter or even your local refrigerator. If you share on Twitter, be sure to tag me @melissablake so we can connect! I can’t wait to hear from you! Love you all… xoxo

Confession: I’ve never been one of those froufrou kitchen decor people; although, if I had it my way, I’d cover our whole house in eye-popping wallpaper. But, anyway, these salt and pepper shakers from Etsy shop TheStorageChest caught my eye and got me thinking.

Aren’t they unique? They’d add just the right about of quirky charm to your kitchen. Plus, they could remind me of a warm summer day — all year long!! I mean, if I can’t be sitting on a tropical island, at least I can have a miniature pineapple on my table, you know?

What do you think, friends? Do you have any quirky finds in your kitchen? xoxo

Don’t mind me, friends, I’m just enjoying the wonder and splendor that are these beautiful pies this morning! Aren’t they truly a work of art? Lauren Ko lives in Seattle, and she started making these creations just a year ago. Yes!! A YEAR AGO!! Can you believe that?

“I come from a family of eaters and phenomenal home cooks, so it feels a bit like I’ve been cooking and baking my whole life,” she says.

Her Instagram is filled to the brim with her delicious creations, and I’m particularly fond of Starry Nut, her take on the Van Gogh classic Starry Night!

Lauren also says she’s forever brainstorming new color combos, and, boy, does it show! I’m loving all the color that’s bursting from these photos, aren’t you? Which pie is your favorite? Aren’t you hungry just looking at these photos?? xoxo

So About What I Said is a daily blog that covers relationships, disabilities, lifestyle and pop culture. I love to laugh and have been known to overshare. I also have an unabashed obsession with pop music, polo shirts, and PEZ dispensers. Read more...